1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved exchangeable element subject to wear--also sometimes referred to herein as an exchangeable wear-resistant element--, especially wear-resistant plates or wear-resistant shoes or liners, for the protection of structural parts against abrasive wear. Such exchangeable elements which are subject to wear are particularly, although not exclusively used, in machines, such as, for example, wood working machines and wood chipping or comminution machines and the like, or for the at least partial armoring or lining of walls which are subject to abrasive wear.
2. Discussion of the Background and Material Information
Wear-resistant elements or armor-plating or linings and the like when employed in conjunction with structural and machine parts exposed to abrasive loads or burdens, serve the purpose of preventing or reducing as far as possible the abrasive removal of material, in order that there can be increased the service life of such parts and/or to increase their operational reliability. Frequently wear-resistant elements are installed in machines in order to counteract alteration of the geometrical conditions arising due to removal of material at the relevant parts and which otherwise would have a deleterious effect upon the operation of the machine. Armoring or lining of a part can be accomplished in a simple manner by repeatedly welding wear-resistant supplementary weld materials upon the structural- or machine part. However, that procedure is associated with the drawback that due to the application of heat to the structural- or machine part distortion or warping of the part can occur and there is then usually required a complicated post-machining operation for smoothing the surface of such undesirably modified part.
It is known in this technology to fabricate exchangeable elements subject to wear or wear-resistant elements from materials exhibiting high resistance against abrasive-removal of such material. Such hard or hardened materials are usually quite brittle, so that there exists a considerable danger of fracturing or rupturing the wear-resistant element, especially when such wear-resistant element is exposed to a surge-like load or burden. Additionally, these materials either can not be welded or are insufficiently weldable, so that the attachment of the wear-resistant element is usually perfected by attachment elements in the form of throughpassing bolts or screws, resulting in a further weakening of the strength of the wear-resistant element. During actual operating conditions there possibly arise a removal of material of the attachment elements at their end faces and a cratering or erosion of the wear-resistant part at neighboring regions of the receiving bores or holes for the associated bolts or screws. Apart from the foregoing, the stability of the attachment is frequently insufficient.